W.Va. county issues first labor camp permit for gas site

WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) — Chesapeake Energy has received the first permit in Ohio County for a labor camp.

The Wheeling-Ohio County Health Department recently issued the permit to Chesapeake for several natural gas drilling sites.

Chesapeake spokeswoman Jacque Bland tells The Intelligencer and Wheeling-News Register that the company always has had trailers with septic systems at its drilling sites. But new permitting requirements in Ohio County now define the units as labor camps.

Ohio County requires companies to obtain a labor camp permit for sites where at least 10 people are working or living.

Health department administrator Howard Gamble says other counties have labor camps for agriculture and farming, and some have issued permits for oil and gas operations.